Well, I made it through. I'm dead tired so I can't remember all the technical words for the mumbo jumbo I'm about to type.
Didn't drop the spoon or anything like that. I almost killed it though. I was doing too many things at once (answering the boss's questions) and forgot to filter off all the sediment After cooling the wart to 65* in the ice filled sink, I transferred the wart into my pail and then drained it into the carboy out the bucket's spigot. I was thinking I had all the crap filtered out so I pitched the yeast (actually about 1/2 way through filling the carboy so it would mix in). I then got it all set up to ferment and went to go home. I was in the parking lot and it donned on me I didn't make sure everything was cleaned out. So, I went back up, poured the wart through a strainer into the pail again and then back into the carboy. The pail is one of those ale pails that has a spigot about 1/2 off bottom. So the heavies settle out. I think I got almost all of the crap out that time,

Now, to the steeping. I ran it for 45 minutes using 2.5 gallons water at 158*. So it's done the best I could at the time. Next time I'll be more prepared.....

Bill,
I can't get onto your hops page..... I'll try again tomorrow. I can't keep my eyes open any longer.

billvelek wrote:I was not aware that enzymes denature faster in more dilute mashes, so I've just learned something. And I wasn't thinking about sweetness resulting from unfermentable dextrines, although that makes sense if they do that, and I'll take your word for it. I have added dextrine for additional mouthfeel, and for some reason never concluded that the beer was too sweet; I guess it depends on a combination of factors, including the bitterness of the recipe, but I will keep that in mind the next time and I'll see what I can detect.

Malto Dextrine itself isn't really sweet, but mashing to promote dextrines by favoring alpha over ß-amylase will leave a range of complex unfermentable sugars that will taste sweet and can be cloying if in the extreme.

The denaturation/thickness relationship is used by some brewers during a protein rest. Proteases are very heat labile and there is typically little protease activity in kilned grain. Increasing the thickness can help keep the remaining proteses active for a little longer.

Also, I believe this is the reason that, while thin mashes are often touted as a way to make a thinner beer, they can actually increase the FG during a warmer mash. This stabilization is theoretically because higher concentration increases the time the enzymes are in contact with their substrate, which helps keep them in their active shape. Floating around free in a large volume makes it easier for them to simply unwind.

I also dropped my digital thermometer last time I brewed. I had just bought it that day and was using it to check wort temps after cooling it. It dropped right into the ice water and instantly shut off. I was able coax it back to life by taking the battery out and leaving it by my fireplace for a couple days.

I was pretty paranoid, so was overly careful with everything.... Except the filtering. I had everything laid out and arranged so nothing would get in the way. I even used a boil control in the pot so there was no chance of a boil over....

Ok, have a question on this.
It's going on day 5 and I still have krausen in the blow off tube. It receded yesterday afternoon to about 3" in the neck of the carboy, so I was tempted to put the air lock on. Glad I didn't. I got into the office this morning and it was back up 3" into the tube. The highest it has been is about 8". My temperature has been staying in the 64-70* range. The CO2 coming out is a consistent small bubbling flow, not a big belch like before.
I did not get a sg on this, my hydrometer ended up being from my old saltwater tank.... I got a new one yesterday, so this won't happen again.
Is this OK or am I in trouble.